Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

6 reviews

doomluz's review

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Winter is one of the most infuriating protagonists I’ve read, but she’s also not the worst. She’s selfish, but she knows what she wants. Though she's willing to use other people to get it. A raw story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Abortion, Biphobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Rape, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent

professorbadger's review

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A truly fantastic read, held back from 5 stars by a (purposely) unlikeable narrator, bouts of homophobia, and some questionable views on masculinity and femininity. I recommend reading, or at least skimming, the extra materials at the end of the book — lots of insight into the characters and their world and thoughts from Sister Souljah on the book and on readers’ reactions to it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Homophobia

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Murder, Infidelity, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug use, and Sexual harassment

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism

amanda's review

reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

ellekhupe's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gun violence

Moderate: Abortion, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

melanie_page's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

But the challenge is in seeing what a “good life” looks like. Winter knows that drug dealers take risks to get so much money. She argues that drug dealers help the economy by purchasing luxury goods and employing “half the men in the ghetto. Nobody else gave them jobs. So why be a player hater?” Why be that person who “worked all week for change to get to work plus a beer to forget about how hard he worked”? What Winter fails to see by not thinking about a community is what can happen after work, those meaningful connections at rec centers, schools, community gardens, and hospitals. Souljah convinces Winter to go with her when she speaks to a ward of AIDs patients, and while we see the epidemic for what it was, and the people who suffered as a result, Winter does not. Sister Souljah does not write an easy book in which her main character “gets it,” but lets the reader travel in the plot with our hands over our eyes, peeking through our fingers. Because we’re “getting it” and see what a disaster Winter is headed for.

I would argue that Sister Souljah does not glorify the drug life or the people who live it. Each moment in which Winter engages with street life feels laced with danger, even as we reside in her head and she celebrates and rationalizes moments during which she doesn’t even realize she’s being degraded. A recommended read.

Check out the full review at https://grabthelapels.com/2021/04/13/the-coldest-winter-ever/

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse and Kidnapping